Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have explored the effect of various diseases on plantar shear stresses while walking. In a 2009 article in Gait & Posture, Dr. Metin Yavuz and colleagues examined hallux valgus, a degenerative joint disease in which the big toe deviates laterally and the first metatarsal bone deviates medially. Generally, the researchers found that hallux valgus caused shear loading of the plantar surface to shift laterally. When using products such as ShearBan® that are intended to offload shear from the skin, practitioners should be aware of the ways in which foot disorders can alter stresses on the foot.